


No More Secrets

by theflyingdalek



Category: Father Brown (2013)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-16 07:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11248929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theflyingdalek/pseuds/theflyingdalek
Summary: Immediately after "The Upcott Fraternity," when Sullivan "arrests" Sid to get him away from the Father for some kissing time, and Sid does his best to convince Sullivan that it's time for Father Brown to know about their relationship.





	No More Secrets

“Did you really have to put me in the car next to a murderer?” Sid pouted, as he shrugged off his jacket.

Sullivan laughed and ran his thumb over Sid’s stubble. “He wouldn’t have hurt you. I wouldn’t have let him,” Sullivan replied with a grin, pulling Sid in closer for a kiss.

“Still,” Sid grumbled, “you put me in a car with a _murderer_.”

“I was there the whole time. _And_ , I had to get you away from the father, so I could do this” Sullivan replied as he pushed Sid’s shirt collar to the side and kissed his collarbone. 

“I don’t know why you’re so scared of him,” Sid laughed, “He doesn’t care about this sort of thing.”

“And what sort of thing might that be?” Sullivan replied with a raised eyebrow.

Sid pulled back, suddenly serious. “If he cared about a little bit of extramarital whatnot, do you think he’d still be hanging about the likes of Lady Felicia and me?” 

“ _That_ is different,” Sullivan replied as he unfastened his suspenders. 

“Not to the father,” Sid replied.

Sullivan scoffed, and took his own step back. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Can we do anything but talk about an old meddlesome Catholic priest?”

“Try as you might, pretending he doesn’t exist, doesn’t actually make the man disappear,” Sid responded, crossing his arms. He leaned against the wall. 

“If wishing made it so,” Sullivan muttered. 

 

“He’s saved your hide more than once,” Sid shot back. 

“Don’t remind me,” Sullivan groused, glaring at the floor.

Sid straightened back out again, walking towards Sullivan. “Why is it so hard for you to loosen up a bit?”

“Not all of us are like you. We don’t all have casual relationships with the law,” spat Sullivan, a little too bitterly. He regretted it immediately. 

Sid seemed to understand and just rolled his eyes. “People like us... we’re already on the wrong side of the law. Just by living. Who gives a toss about the rest?”

“I do” Sullivan snapped, angry again. He knew it was irrational, but he had lost patience for this conversation a long time ago.

They stood in silence for a minute or two. Sid feigning disregard, and Sullivan tense and closed off.  
“I know,” Sid said, breaking the silence. As soon as he did, all of the tension in Sullivan’s shoulders melted away. He let out a breath and stared at the ceiling. 

“It took me…” Sullivan paused for a moment, “a long time, just to get to this bit.” 

“That’s why the father…” Sid interrupted. 

“Let’s not do this today, okay?”

“I’ll drop it now,” Sid acquiesced, “but he’s going to find out. That is, if he doesn’t already know.”

“What?” This caught Sullivan’s attention, “You mean he knows that you’re…”

“…having illicit encounters with handsome men?” Sid teased. “We don’t talk about it over tea, but I’d be surprised if he didn’t know. If you haven’t noticed, he does have an uncanny way of…”

“Yes… yes… I’d just…” Sullivan blinked. “Wait, what handsome men?”

“Just this one for the moment,” Sid answered with a grin. “You really think that Father Brown is the type of person to judge? After all you’ve seen of him?”

“It’s more complicated than that,” Sullivan replied. He paused for a moment before beginning again. “You know my father and I broke off quite badly.”

“It was because he found out you’re homosexual?” 

Sullivan flinched at the word. Trust Sid to be painfully straightforward.

“I… I thought he was a good man. He is a good man. He was my role model for as long as I could remember, and a fine, honest policeman. But when he found out… he couldn’t even look at me. He couldn’t even look at his own son. Everything I’ve done with my life, all the good, was suddenly nothing, worse than nothing, because of something I can’t control.”

“Father Brown is different,” Sid insisted. “Why won’t you believe me?”

“Why won’t you just leave it alone?” Sullivan asked, frustrated. This conversation felt like it would never end, and it felt like it was the hundredth time they had talked about it. 

“Because, of that look on your face,” Sid answered, suddenly sincere. 

“What look?” Sullivan demanded.

“You look ashamed,” Sid replied.

Sullivan wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. 

“Maybe I am,” he said after yet another tense silence.

“Look,” Sid started. “I’m not dumb enough to make this all about me, but for your own sake, I think you should have a talk with him.”

“I’m not going to confession,” Sullivan gritted out.

Sid snorted. “I wouldn’t either. Besides, it’s not like there’s something you have to confess.”

“You really don’t think we do?”

“No more than anyone else. Have a little faith.”

“I didn’t think you would care about any of this,” Sullivan pointed out, “You’re not exactly the religious type.”

“You were though, once.”

Sullivan shot him a surprised glance. 

“What? You think I can’t tell? It’s written all over your face. You were probably an altar boy too. And anyway, I’m not asking you to convert. I’m asking you to talk to Father Brown. I do that every day, and I am quite God-free, thank you.”

Something clicked. 

“You said this wasn’t about you. But it sort of is, isn’t it?” Sullivan asked.

“I’m not self-centered enough to think that your issues are about me, I guess. But I would like to not have to sneak behind Father Brown’s back all the time. He’d want to know.”

“Do you talk to him about all of your… how did you put it? _Extramarital whatnots_?”

“No. But I would want him to know if I was in a relationship.”

They had never really talked about what they were. Even though it was far more real than anything Sullivan had ever had before. He knew Sid’s reputation. Though it was true that he hadn’t seen Sid run about with anyone since they had begun to see each other. 

“Fine,” Sullivan found himself relenting.  
Sid’s answering grin was reward enough for this leap into vulnerability. 

“And Mrs. M and Lady Felicia would want to know too,” Sid added.

“Is the whole bloody town to know?” Sullivan complained. 

“Just the people that matter,” Sid responded.

“Okay.” Sullivan answered, giving in completely. He felt like he had shown his hand too early. Would he ever be able to say no after this? Sullivan had no idea how he got to this point, but as long as Sid was still standing there with that idiotic smile it didn’t really matter in the end, did it?

“What?” Sullivan demanded, “Do you want me to go down to the parish _now_?”

After what seemed like an eternity, Sid finally pulled away from the wall and walked over to Sullivan for a kiss. 

“I’m sure the father can wait until morning.”


End file.
